A water leak behind the Susanville Walmart on Wednesday, led to a disruption of water service to the Wingate Mall after the City of Susanville Water Division responded to the incident, which was reported at 4:00 p.m.
According to Public Works Director Bob Godman, city crews isolated the leak and collaborated with Walmart to minimize the impact by identifying the smallest possible section of their private line for shutdown. However, this required turning off the water supply to Wingate Mall.
Walmart initiated repairs quickly, with plumbers on-site by 8:00a.m. Thursday. City crews worked alongside Walmart’s plumbers to assess the damage.
Unfortunately, explains Godman, “a specialized part needed for the repair had to be shipped from Reno and did not arrive until Saturday morning.”
The city staff explored alternative solutions to restore water to the mall during the interim but determined that no safe options existed.
Once the part arrived, Saturday morning, Walmart’s plumbers completed the repair, which included pouring concrete to stabilize the area. City crews assisted in restoring water service to Wingate Mall around noon.
Due to the line’s exposure to the outside environment, the State Division of Water Resources Engineer requested the City Water Division thoroughly flush the pipe and issue a five-minute flush and a voluntary boil water notice to Wingate Mall customers as a precaution. The city water crews also collected a water sample for contamination testing.
The City Water Division commended Walmart for their quick response and expressed gratitude to Wingate Mall customers for their patience during the repair process.
